CRESCO BUILDING SERVICE, INC.

What CRESCO BUILDING SERVICE, INC. does

Cresco Building Service, Inc. is a privately held general contracting and construction management firm founded in 1985 and headquartered in Cresco, Iowa. The company operates within a 90-mile radius serving the Tri-State area of Northeast Iowa, Southeast Minnesota, and Southwest Wisconsin, and runs three integrated service lines: General Contracting (where CBS bids entire jobs, performs most construction with its own in-house workforce, and subcontracts specialty trades including sitework, masonry, flooring, mechanical, and electrical work), Construction Management (a fee-based advisory service from concept through closeout), and Design & Build (integrated design services collaborating with architects and engineers). The firm is a continuous authorized dealer for Varco Pruden pre-engineered steel buildings and metal building systems.

Cresco Building Service targets six primary customer segments: commercial, education (K-12 and higher education including Upper Iowa University and Jesup CSD), healthcare (hospitals, assisted living, hospice), manufacturing (Featherlite, Integrity Mills/SunOpta), government (Clayton County Law Enforcement Center, Floyd County Transportation Center), and religious/community organizations. Notable projects include a 75,040 sq. ft. Port Authority facility in Albert Lea, MN, a 10,944 sq. ft. athletic fitness center for Jesup CSD, and a 10,300 sq. ft. FFA Exhibit Hall built using Varco Pruden systems. The company employs 27 individuals including 21 field personnel and 5 office staff, and is led by a board with exceptional tenure (28–33 years across President, VP, Secretary-Treasurer, and Lead Estimator roles).

Go-to-market is relationship-driven enterprise field sales anchored on direct project bids, referrals from three regional architecture firms (Emergent Architecture, Atura Architecture, Metrics Architecture), and repeat public-sector and institutional clients. Pricing is custom and project-based with multi-year contract cadence typical for design-build engagements. The firm is independent, with no parent company, institutional investor, or external capital identified, and relies on CUSB Bank as primary banking partner and The Accel Group for insurance and bonding services.

Name

CRESCO BUILDING SERVICE, INC.

Legal name

Cresco Building Service, Inc.

Website

https://crescobuildingservice.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cresco Building Service, Inc. is a privately held general contracting, construction management, and design-build firm founded in 1985, headquartered in Cresco, Iowa, serving commercial, educational, healthcare, manufacturing, and government clients across the Tri-State area within a 90-mile radius.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

General Contracting and Construction Management

NAICS

Nonresidential Building Construction (2362), Industrial Building Construction (23621)

SIC

General Bldg Contractors - Nonresidential Bldgs (1540), Operative Builders (1531)

akta.pro primary industry

Commercial General Contracting (New Build) (IMAFAAAA)

Keywords

• General contracting services
• Construction management
• Design build services
• Pre-engineered steel buildings
• Commercial construction

Headquarters

HQ city

Cresco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. General Contracting Services: Project-based revenue from construction contracts. CBS bids entire jobs, performs most work with its own workforce, and subcontracts specialty trades. Revenue is earned through successful project completion within budget and schedule.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Cresco Building Service is a general contracting and construction management firm that bids entire construction jobs, performs most work with its own workforce, and subcontracts specialty trades such as sitework, masonry, flooring, mechanical, and electrical work. The company also offers fee-based construction management representing owners from concept through closeout, and design-build services collaborating with architects, engineers, and designers. The firm is an authorized dealer for Varco Pruden pre-engineered steel buildings and metal building systems.

Product overview

Cresco Building Service, Inc. is a general contracting and construction management company offering three distinct but complementary service lines: General Contracting (where CBS bids and performs most work with its own workforce, subcontracting specialty trades), Construction Management (fee-based project representation from concept to closeout), and Design & Build (integrated design services working with architects and engineers). The company operates primarily in Northeast Iowa and surrounding areas, serving commercial, educational, governmental, healthcare, religious, and manufacturing sectors since its founding in 1985. As an authorized dealer for Varco Pruden Buildings, the company specializes in pre-engineered steel buildings and metal system construction.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• General Contracting Services Full-service general contracting where Cresco Building Service bids entire jobs and performs most work with its own workforce, while subcontracting specialty trades including sitework, masonry, flooring, mechanical, and electrical work. Targeted at commercial, educational, healthcare, governmental, religious, and manufacturing sector clients in the Tri-State area.
• Construction Management Services Fee-based construction management providing owners with an experienced representative who guides projects from initial concept through final construction closeout, including guidance on site selection and layout, preliminary budgeting, project team selection, design-phase input on cost/schedule/quality, and bid package management.
• Design & Build Services Integrated design-build service collaborating with architects, engineers, and designers to develop tailored designs reflecting client goals while remaining practical and within budget, from initial concept development through final blueprints. Engages clients early to align structural, environmental, and operational considerations with project objectives.

Named customers10 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Varco Pruden BuildingscoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 January 1985Authorized dealer for Varco Pruden Buildings since 1985. Varco Pruden is a leader in commercial pre-engineered building and metal system construction industry. CBS constructs Varco Pruden pre-engineered steel buildings including their largest constructed project (75,040 sq. ft. Port Authority in Albert Lea, MN).
• The Accel GroupminorOthersRisk management and insurance partner providing commercial insurance, bonding, and safety training services. CBS works with their Senior Risk Improvement Specialists for ongoing safety training and has Ty Burke and Tony Pollastrini as contact partners.
• Hacker, Nelson & Company, P.C.minorOthersCPA firm providing accounting and financial services. Contact partners include Ryan Bullerman and Jake Feller, located in Decorah, IA.
• Emergent ArchitecturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm reference providing design services for construction projects. Nick Hildebrandt serves as CEO and Principal Architect. Located in Cedar Falls, IA.
• Atura ArchitecturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm reference providing design services. Mark Kroemer serves as contact, AIA licensed architect. Located in Clear Lake, IA.
• Metrics ArchitecturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm reference providing design services for projects. Josh Demmer serves as contact, AIA licensed architect. Located in Manchester, IA.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Boldt Company: Appleton, Wisconsin-based construction and engineering firm with commercial, industrial, and institutional capabilities. Larger scale and broader portfolio than CBS but directly competes for projects in the Wisconsin portion of CBS's Tri-State market.
• M.A. Mortenson Company: Minneapolis-based national general contractor with strong Midwest presence across commercial, healthcare, education, government, and renewable/institutional sectors. Significantly larger than CBS and competing for institutional projects throughout the Tri-State region.
• Kraus-Anderson Construction: Minneapolis-based, full-service construction firm with broad capabilities (GC, CM, design-build, real estate development). Larger and more diversified than CBS, but competes for similar commercial, healthcare, and education projects in the Upper Midwest.
• McCarthy Building Companies: St. Louis-based national general contractor with significant commercial, healthcare, and education portfolios. A broader incumbent competing in Midwest geographies; overlaps with CBS on healthcare and education construction projects.

Direct peers

• Story Construction Company: Ames, Iowa-based commercial general contractor and construction manager. Similar scope (GC, CM, design-build), similar end-market mix, and comparable size — a direct Midwest regional competitor with overlapping Iowa geography.
• Henkel Construction Company: Mason City, Iowa-based general contractor and construction manager serving northern Iowa and southern Minnesota. Closely overlapping Tri-State geography with similar commercial, institutional, and industrial project focus.
• Knutson Construction: Minneapolis-based general contractor and construction manager operating across the Upper Midwest. Comparable service mix (GC, CM, design-build) and similar institutional/commercial client profile; broader regional reach but overlapping Minnesota/Wisconsin territory.
• The Weitz Company: Des Moines-headquartered commercial general contractor and construction manager serving Midwestern markets. Closely comparable business model (GC + CM + design-build), similar vertical mix (commercial, education, healthcare, government, industrial), and Iowa-based regional footprint that overlaps CBS's territory.
• Miron + Co (Miron Construction): Neenah, Wisconsin-based commercial GC and construction manager. Comparable business model across commercial, education, healthcare, and industrial sectors; directly overlapping Wisconsin geography that is part of CBS's Tri-State footprint.

Others

• Varco Pruden Buildings: OEM partner (and supplier) of pre-engineered steel building systems and metal building construction solutions. Directly comparable as the technology/product supplier whose systems CBS installs; comparable in the pre-engineered metal building category but operating as manufacturer/dealer network rather than regional GC.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cresco-building-service-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CRESCO BUILDING SERVICE, INC.